The present invention relates in general to packaging, and more particularly to a see-through container for shipping a large household appliance such as a refrigerator or the like.
See-through containers or cartons for shipping appliances, such as refrigerators, are known. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,891,086 and 4,226,327 disclose packages wherein an open sided, cardboard structure surrounding the appliance supports a transparent plastic film wrapped around it. Thus, although the appliance is completely contained within and protected by the resultant container, the appliance can still be readily viewed and inspected via the transparent film. While the two noted prior art packages do provide the advantageous see-through feature, they both require the use of relatively complex, multi-component cardboard structures for containing the appliance and supporting the associated plastic film.
The complexity of the prior art cardboard structures inherently adds to the cost of packaging, and makes more difficult the automation of the packaging process.
It would be desirable to provide a low-cost, see-through appliance container that could be easily adapted to automated packaging. Such an improved container should also provide means to facilitate handling of the container by a forklift truck, as is customary in the appliance shipping business.